Every kitchen needs one….

….a Sylvie Rowand!  Particularly when you’re having a large dinner party.  Here Sylvie squeezes out cheese puffs to be served with the “Autumn Gold Soup Demitasse (rutabaga).  You may scroll down for the full menu.

Sylvie, a French chef by way of Reunion Island, is also a gardener and our dinner depended heavily on her garden and produce from Sunnyside Farm.  Featured, of course, was Thistle Hill meat, though our freezers are pretty empty.

There was a pork shoulder that had escaped our customers; slow cooked with my “special” sauerkraut and kielbasa.  The final presentation was artfully arranged on a platter with the kraut and sausage around the meat.

Those who preferred beef, could choose our brisket prepared in a crock pot.  Actually, I think everyone had some of both.  The brisket was served with mixed local root vegetables and cauliflower.  We broke from the “local” theme only for the cheese platter which followed.  There was a “Grayson” from Meadowcreek Dairy but we went to Maryland and Utah for the others, all served with a variety of preserves and chutney.

The vegetables were baked in butter and a secret season, though we were amused that Sylvie had even found some Sea Salt from Cornwall, which we consider “local” at Thistle Hill.  If you’re counting, we’re now at four courses with one more to count:   But before we go there, we’ll list the wines: a German Riesling, and a French Pinot Noir and Languedoc.  Oh, and a port with the cheese.

Hard to believe, but everyone had no trouble devouring the dessert:  “Reine De Saba Chocolate and Almond Cake with Cranberry Sorbet“.  But Wooz probably thought Sylvie saved the best for last…staying until 11 to do all the cleaning up.

It’s not something we’d like to do every night, even if all we had to do is eat.  But Sylvie does, cooking for occasions large and small throughout the area.  Her email address is sylvie@laughingduckgardens.com.

And there was a final touch: Sylvie had prepared a souvenier menu for our guests.  Yes, that’s a Thistle Hill glass (no, not blown for the occasion) and the silver was a Matthews family heirloom, 157 years old.  Now that made it really special for us (if you don’t count the friends gathered at our table, as they have for more than 50 years).